“Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” -Acts 3:6

This Christmas as I handed out Christmas cards, I’d often say, “Silver and gold, I have none, but what I do have is a Christmas card!” At this point in my life, I don’t have all the money I’d like to just go out and bless everyone that has been a blessing to me.

At first I felt guilty and then I got down on myself. Then I thought…I don’t need to be able to give a gift or a gift card to bless someone, I’ll just give what I do have to give: Encouragement, time, my service, a meaningful card, etc.

You might not be able to buy everyone you know gifts this Christmas, but you do have something that you can give. The question you should ask yourself is:

What can I offer people that would be better than just getting them a gift?

Maybe you could:

• Take someone out to coffee and encourage them
• Write letters to the people that have impacted you the most
• Volunteer to help them with a project they need to get done at home
• Offer your expertise to someone who could use it
  
• Call someone and let them know they’ve made a difference in your life
• Send out text messages thanking people for the impact they’ve had
• Introduce people to people that can help them!
  
• Give someone an opportunity they don’t deserve!
• Give up your morning, afternoon, or evening just to spend time with someone.
  

Don’t think that the only way to bless someone this Christmas is through money and gifts. You have more to offer than you realize.

What do you have to give this Christmas?

¹⁰ For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity^[e] in you.¹¹ Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous. And when we take your gifts to those who need them, they will thank God. ¹² So two good things will result from this ministry of giving—the needs of the believers in Jerusalem^[f] will be met, and they will joyfully express their thanks to God. - II Cor. 9:10-12

I absolutely love these two verses! Before I go over how much money you should give, I think it’s important to  go over the outcomes of your giving. Because too often, people think the outcome of their giving is that the church gets richer and they get poorer. Nothing is farther from the truth. Here are some of the outcomes of your giving:

People Will Praise God – if this was the only outcome, wouldn’t that be worth it? Think about it . . . if you’re a tither and a giver, every time you see someone praising God, every time you see someone who has had their live changed, an addiction broken, or a marriage restored through the ministry you give to, you had a part to play in that.

People’s Needs Will Be Met – In Acts, it says that when everyone was giving as they should, nobody in the entire church lacked anything! What if we all trusted God with our finances? We’d change the world! We’d put an end to poverty! We could meet every-one’s needs!

God will give you more money to give! - It may seem like God uses some people more than others . . . and He does. Why? Because the people God will use and bless the most are the ones who obey Him. If you’ll obey God in the area of your finances, He’ll send more financial resources your way so you can be an even bigger giver!

You Learn that it is far better to Give than to Receive - If you’ve ever done anything for someone financially in a way they can’t pay you back for, I don’t have to tell you this, you already know – Nothing compares to giving to others. I promise – if you start giving to people in this manner – you’ll become addicted and you’ll go from earning to make a living to earning to make a giving!

²⁴“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. -Matthew 6:24

God Wants Your Heart

When it comes to giving, God is far more interested in having your heart than your money. Jesus said wherever your treasure is, that’s where your heart is. For instance, in the area of finances, I’ll be able to tell matters most to you in life by looking at your bank statements. What does your spending say about you? How you spend your money will show me whether you’re trusting God with your finances by putting Him first or if you’re trusting in yourself and your money. You can’t do both.

If you asked any pastor around the country if you should be a tither and a giver, I promise you they’d tell you yes, regardless of whether or not you attend THEIR church.

Why? Why would they tell you to be a tither or a giver if their church is never going to see a penny of what you’re giving? Because they know being a tither and a giver is for your benefit, far more than it is for the churches benefit. (I’ll go over the benefits of giving in another post).

People who think it’s all about the church or pastor wanting their money are missing the entire point of giving. Giving is all about yielding your heart to God and trusting Him with everything that’s important to you.

God wants all of your heart, all of your soul, all of your mind, and all of your strength. God wants to be first in your life. My question to you is – is He? If He is, you’re finances will reflect that. I like what Pastor Nathan says, “He’s either Lord of all, or not at all.”

Tomorrow I’ll go over the three types of giving in the Bible – tithing, offerings, and alms giving.

Check out this video from LifeChurch.tv: